To Redeem a Legacy
by Kelana-ti
Summary: Some people die. Others fall in love, get married, and have kids. That is to be expected. What Tseng did not expect was training Sephiroth's son to save the world. eventual oc/oc
1. Chapter 1

**So, it looks like I am starting another story. I was going to try to write one story at a time, but apparently that won't happen. Hopefully, I will not get writer's block for this one or anything. In some ways, this will be hard, because I don't really know how to write children, but I hope I am up to the challenge. :D Anyway, enjoy.**

**I do not own Final Fantasy 7, or its characters. Square-Enix does. I do own the plot to this story and the characters that I have made up.**

"Speaking."

"[Speaking in Wutian]."

_Thoughts._

**To Redeem a Legacy**

**Chapter One**

_February, 1992, Kalm; several months before the Nibelheim incident_

Tseng hesitated before climbing out of the black nondescript Shinra-issue car to review his information: information that that only Veld, the leader of the Turks, and his second-in-command knew of. Tseng, who just happened to be that second-in-command, was thinking that if he did not hold that rank in the Turks, he would not be in this position.

Even though he had already memorized it, he went over the information in his head. The Turk was not nervous; he just wanted to make sure he would not do something he might regret. After all, one does not blindly walk into the house belonging to a woman that might be the wife of Sephiroth without reconsidering.

Taking a calming breath, Tseng ducked out of the car into the weather of a dying winter. With the fading sun warming the dark material of his suit, the Wutian stepped away from his car and in even, sure strides walked another block of Kalm's streets before coming to his destination. Out of habit, he carefully eyed the house, even though he already knew what it looked like. A simple baby-blue single story house with peeling paint, it did not have much of a front yard, although some well-cared-for flowers grew under the windows. The house had a small backyard, basically just a lawn and a cherry tree, but both got as much attention as the flowers in the front. With the owner's salary, she should be barely getting by, but she was doing fine. It made Tseng wonder if she was getting more money from somewhere.

Tseng stepped up to the door and knocked. He knew she was home, it being six in the evening, and the owner rarely went out to dinner.

The door opened to reveal a short, pretty Wutian woman in her early twenties. Her brown eyes widened with surprise and a hint of fear when she saw Tseng.

The Turk gave her a short bow from the waist, straitened, and asked in Wutian, "[Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Arina Uematsu]?" He knew that this woman spoke both Common and Wutian, but also knew that people often relax a little when you speak to them in their native language.

In answer to his question, she nodded. "[May I come in]?" He continued. The woman nodded, her face hiding her nervousness, and for a second Tseng found himself admiring her for her resolve. Few people can remain calm when a Turk comes to their door.

"[Yes]," she said, stepping aside and opening the door wider. Tseng stepped inside and she closed the door after him. Looking to the side, he saw several pairs of shoes sitting on the side of the entryway. Without asking, he removed his combat boots and set them next to a pair of small tennis shoes. Arina looked startled, and then gave him a small smile and a "[Thank you]."

The Turk glanced around, noticing the decor that reflected both Midgarian and Wutian culture. The living room had a couch, a rocking chair, a TV, a coffee table, and a fireplace on the left side of the room. To the right, the room opened into the kitchen, and the hallway to the bedrooms was near the fireplace. He could smell the aroma of what must be dinner on the stove. Tseng turned to Arina, but she spoke first.

"[Why are you here]?" Her voice was surprisingly calm.

"[I am here to ask you some questions]," Tseng said simply. Sometimes, if you were non-direct in what you wanted, the target might give you a clue as to the exact situation.

Arina sighed. "[You're not going to make this easy, are you? Let's sit down]."

They both sat down on the couch, Tseng noting with some amusement that that particular piece of furniture was almost the same color as his suit. He also noticed that Arina sat as far away from him on the couch as politeness allowed.

Tseng nodded. "[First, let me say that this is not an investigation being conducted by the Science Department. Also, until six years ago, you were of no interest to the Turks. And so, unfortunately, we cannot get enough information on you as we would like without drawing attention to our investigation. I want you to give me an accurate report on how Professor Hojo got his hands on you, and on what happened afterward]."

Arina blinked, then nodded slowly. "[My father's name is Yorihiko Uematsu. Before the war, he was an ambassador in Midgar, and lived there, along with the rest of my family. When he had heard that Wutai and the Shin-Ra Company were at war, he decided that we would have to leave. Everyone but my uncle and I escaped. Uncle Araki tried to get away, and he died. I was only thirteen]."

As she said this, her expression did not change. It was the face of someone who had long ago come to terms with what had happened.

"[Hojo decided that since my parents were enemies of the company, I was fair game]." Arina looked at her hands. "[For five years, he did experiments on me. Nothing he did had any effect. The professor decided to kill me, but instead I was let go. I heard later that General Sephiroth thought it would be of better interest to the company to let me live, because they might need my father's cooperation after the war]."

She looked up, and gave a little shake of her head, as if chasing away bad memories. "[And here I am]."

_Her story matches the information Veld gave me, _Tseng thought. _But Arina is not telling me everything. _He was about to ask her another question when he felt the magical pull of a materia being activated. It felt different though - like it was coming from two different directions simultaneously.

Tensing, Tseng looked at Arina as his hand rested near his gun. She looked scared. "[What was that]?" He asked curtly. Whatever had just happened, one of the 'pulls' had come from her.

She shook her head. "[I - I don't know]," she stammered.

Tseng stood up and headed for the hallway, where the other pull had come from. Arina was protecting someone or something, and it had to do with the materia spell that had just been cast.

"[No, wait! Stop]!" Arina reached for the Turk's arm, but he jerked away. "[Please]," she begged.

Tseng glared at her. Switching to Common, he said, "I dislike secrets being kept from me. If you know what is good for you, you will tell me what just happened, and show me whatever it is that you are hiding."

For a second, the two Wutians stared at each other. Then, Arina looked away, almost wilting. Carefully, she looked over his shoulder. Tseng remembered that there was a clock behind him, and wondered why she was looking at it.

Arina nodded. "This way," she said softly, and headed down the darkened hallway.

As they walked toward the back of the house, Tseng felt the pull of the materia twice more. The Turk prepared himself, not knowing what he might be getting himself into. According to the reports, Arina had a five-year-old son, but no five-year-old could use materia.

At the end of the hall, Arina opened a door, revealing a young boy's bedroom. The shades were drawn over the window, concealing the growing night. The lights cast a warm glow about the room, as well as reflecting off some of the toys on the floor. Sitting on the bed against the right wall of the room was a young black-haired boy, holding two materia in his hands; a blue support materia attached to a green magic.

When his mother and Tseng entered the room, he looked up. The Turk almost jerked in surprise. The boy was a half-Wutian; the hair and facial features spoke of the island heritage, but it was the eyes that gave it away. Bright, almost glowing green eyes met gray, and Tseng grimly thought that maybe Sephiroth being the boy's father wasn't so ridiculous after all.

Seeing Tseng, the boy jumped off the bed and put the materia in a pocket, making the universal little kid uh-oh-I'm in trouble face. Arina aproched the child, her bare feet making little noise of the white carpet. The boy looked at her, his face surprisingly serious. "Mom?" he asked.

Arina gave a reassuring smile as she took her son's hand. She looked back at the Turk. "You did not tell me your name."

"It's Tseng," he answered, keeping his eyes on the boy.

She nodded, then looked at her son. "Seij, this is Tseng."

Seij bowed, his hands clasped before him. "[Hello]."

Tseng felt his lips twitch into an almost-smile as he politely returned the kid's bow. This boy was definitely not a regular five-year-old.

A board creaked in the hallway. His hand grabbing his gun, but not drawing it yet, Tseng spun around to face the doorway. Sephiroth stood there, long silver hair gleaming in the light, barefoot, his boots held in his left hand. At the sight of the Turk, he tensed. For a moment, both warriors stood there, tense, no weapon drawn, but ready to be drawn. Then, Sephiroth relaxed.

"Tseng, who sent you here?" He asked, keeping his green eyes fixed on the Wutian Turk.

"Veld." Tseng answered, relaxing a little. "And before you ask, neither Hojo or the President will hear of your family from the Turks."

The SOLDIER First Class's eyes narrowed. "Can you promise that?"

For a second, Tseng hesitated, thinking. _Can I? _Slowly, he said, "I can promise that I will not tell them. But Veld has suspected, so I will have to tell him. I do not think he will tell Hojo, and if it were up to me, the Professor will never find out."

Slowly, Sephiroth nodded. "That will have to do for now."

Until now, Arina and Seij had stood in the middle of the room, watching this exchange tensely. As Sephiroth finished speaking, the boy went up to the general and hugged him. "Welcome home, Daddy," Seij said.

Tseng raised an eyebrow. He had never thought to hear the hero of the Wutian war called "Daddy." Sephiroth frowned at the Turk as he patted Seij's head. "It's good to see you too." The General sighed, still watching Tseng. "If you are going to know our secret, you might as well know all of it," he finally said.

The Turk went still, then eyed Sephiroth. _What does he mean by that? _Tseng asked, "What part of your secret, exactly, do I not know about?" He looked back at Arina, who had walked over to stand next to her husband.

"We will show you," she said. Then she looked at Sephiroth. "But first... our son has figured out how to use materia."

As Tseng watched, Sephiroth tensed for a second, then, relaxing, looked down at Seij and smiled. "Oh, really? Well, it was only a matter of time."

Tseng tilted his head to one side, scrutinizing the young boy. "He must be smart if he can use materia already," he said.

Arina smiled. "Yes, Seij is smart. He is a good reader already."

Sephiroth knelt down, looking Seij in the eye. "Seij," he said softly. "Let me see what you can do with that Illusion materia."

Tseng gave a start of surprise. _Illusion materia? _He had never heard of that kind before. The Turk was still forming a question when Sephiroth turned his head and looked at him.

"I have only came across one Illusion materia," the General said with a smirk. "One of the ninjas I fought during the war had this one."

Tseng nodded. That made sense. If any place had a type of materia that Shin-Ra did not know of, it would be Wutai. The ninja culture has used materia longer then any other group of people on any continent. "Is this Illusion materia attached to a Distance materia? When it was activated, it felt like it was coming from two places at once." **(1)**

"Yes, it is attached to a Distance materia," Arina said, nodding. "Seph got it from Wutai, too."

Tseng felt his eyebrow give a small twitch at the General's nickname, but pushed that curiosity aside. "Why would Seij need an Illusion materia?"

Arina looked at Sephiroth. "You'll see." The SOLDIER said. He looked at his son. "Come on. Show me what you can do."

Seij looked up at his father, then at Tseng. "But is he... okay?"

Sephiroth nodded. "Yes, you can show him."

Seij took a deep breath, then nodded. Looking at his father, then at the Turk, he took the materia out of his pocket. As Tseng watched, Seij disconnected the Illusion materia from the support, then put the blue materia back. The boy glanced at his mother and smiled. "It's easier this way." She nodded.

As the spell was cast, Tseng noticed that Seij was looking right into his eyes. The boy was enveloped in a green glow, the materia held against his chest shining ever brighter. Then, the black hair, green eyes, and the rest of the child was bleached white. The color returned as the light faded, revealing the same clothes, and similar Wutian facial features, but that is where the similarities ended. Seij was now a little taller, paler, and his eyes glowed mako green. But the biggest change was that the raven-colored hair that framed Seij's face was now silver.

For a moment, the Turk stared at the General's son in surprise. Then he turned to Sephiroth, asking, "This is what he really looks like?" The SOLDIER nodded.

Tseng looked back at Seij, who had a worried expression on his face. The Wutian gave him a small nod, hoping to put the boy more at ease. Sephiroth put a hand on his son's shoulder, and Seij relaxed, offering Tseng a small smile.

Glancing at Sephiroth, Tseng said, "It must have surprised you when you learned that Seij's hair is silver."

Sephiroth smirked. "It did."

The uncomfortable silence that followed was broken by Arina, who wrapped an arm around her husband, then looked over at Tseng. "Do you want to have dinner with us? I had just finished cooking some beef ramen before you came in. I always make a little extra for leftovers, so there will be enough."

Tseng nodded. "I see no reason why not," he said. _After all, _the Turk thought, _it has been awhile since I have had homemade Wutian food._

~#~

This is Tseng:

A Wutian who dresses as a white man. A member of Shin-Ra. A warrior whose favorite weapon is his pistol. But most of all, he is a Turk.

The common citizen will say that the Turks are loyal only to the President, but that is not true. They are loyal first to the Turks, second to the President.

Tseng understands this, perhaps more then his peers do. And as he sits at Sephiroth's table, listening to the family talk, this, more than anything, is on his mind. The Turks come first. Veld had already said that if Sephiroth has a child, Hojo must not learn about it. For the sake of the child, and the world. Veld knows that Hojo is up to something, and it is not good.

The Turk was enjoying the food, and the attempts at small talk. _Veld will want to keep this family safe._Tseng understands. _Seij is already showing_ _how he_ _is different from other children. His ability to cast materia spells at his age is unexpected._

Some people say that Turks are monsters, trained only to be the weapons, the guard dogs of Shin-Ra. But Turks are human; they have hearts. And as Seij looks at him, Tseng feels his heart, the heart of a Turk, an assassin, and a bodyguard, soften.

**A/N. **

**So, did you enjoy it? Just so you know, I made up the Illusion and Distance materia.**

**(1) The Turk is referring to a rare support materia that comes as a pair (because they would be useless if you just had one). Often used for sabotage missions among the Turks, you can keep one of the Distance materia, and set the other one up with a fire or some other destructive materia near a building, or whatever else you want destroyed. No matter how far away you are, when you activate the support materia you have, it's connection with the other Distance materia will activate the materia it is connected to. Needless to say, Reno loves Distance materia.**

**Please review! You can review even if you don't fav the story, I just want some feedback.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I finally finished this chapter! :D Yeah. Took me long enough. Anyway, this one is a little depressing, but it is also necessary. I just hope I did it right. After reading it, if any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. Oh, and guess what? My English teacher has read some of my stuff. C: He liked it. And he used to be an editor, so I guess that ****mean's**** I'm better than I thought I was. Go, inspiration!**

**I do not own Square Enix or anything that it has made. I do own my characters and the plot in this story.**

"Speaking."

"[Speaking in Wutian]."

_"Thoughts."_

_**"Jenova speaking."**_

**Telepathy.**

**To Redeem a Legacy**

**Chapter 2**

_February 15, 1992, Kalm_

After dinner, Arina would have worked on finishing the novel she was reading while Sephiroth and Tseng talked outside, but she was too nervous to get into the book. She was worried. The fate of her family rested in the hands of two Turks; Tseng, because he had seen Seij and knew their secret, and Veld, because he was Tseng's superior. She did not know whether they really could be trusted or not. But she had to try, for Seij's sake.

The door opened, and Arina looked up as Sephiroth came in. "What did he say?" she asked.

Her husband stayed silent until he had sat down next to her on the navy colored couch.

"Tseng called Veld, and told him about us, and about Seij. Veld agreed with Tseng, and has promised not to the president or Hojo." As he said this, Sephiroth had taken his wife's hand, and was absently stroking her fingers with his own gloved ones.

Arina nodded, but she knew her eyebrows were still drawn with worry. "Can we trust them?"

"We will have to. But I think it will be okay. Turks are very good at keeping secrets." Sephiroth gave a small smile, then kissed Arina's forehead, his silver hair brushing against her cheek. "Come on. It's late, and we all had a stressful evening. Time for bed."

Arina found herself easily agreeing to her husband's statements, but as they walked hand-in-hand to say good-night to their son, she could not help feeling that tonight was a turning point, of sorts.

~#~

_May 21, 1992_

It was a feeling of wrongness that caused Arina to awake in the middle of the night. The only thing her groggy mind understood was that Sephiroth was in trouble.

_"That's not right",_ she thought. "_He and that other 1st__Class SOLDIER, Zack Fair, just went to check a couple of reactors. What could happen on a mission like that that two SOLDIERs can't handle?"_

Arina sat up and looked at the clock, which said it was one in the morning. She sighed, then decided that she might as well check on Seij while she thought about what was going on. That sense of unease had not left her.

Carefully, Arina got up and softly stepped across the carpet and out of her room. She crossed the hall and entered her son's room, which was dimly lit with a night light. The black-haired woman passed the darkened window, then stood next to her son's bed. Arina smiled, and thought that, in the dim light, and with his silver hair, Seij looked like and angel.

Suddenly, the dark sense of a watching presence filled the room. Reflexively, Arina leaned over Seij, hoping to somehow protect him. And somehow, her mind's defenses enveloped her son, leaving her to take the brunt of the attack.

The Wutian gasped, and felt that what was hurting her, had hurt Sephiroth. An evil woman's laugh echoed in her head.

"_**Sephiroth is as good as mine… and he has a son."**_

Seij slept deeply that night, blissfully unaware of the Dark Lady that stalked his mother's nightmares.

~#~

_May 29, 1992_

A little more then a week later, Arina was sitting on a couch in the living room, reading a book while Seij played with his toys on the floor. It was a Friday, but after that vision she had, Arina had called in sick, and she hasn't gone to work since. She has been having periodic feelings of dread all week, and today, that feeling had been constant.

Arina looked at the clock, and sighed. She had been trying to read since breakfast, and several hours later, she still couldn't keep her mind on the book.

"[Mom]?" Arina looked over at Seij, who was gazing up at her, his silver hair falling into his eyes. Looking at him, Arina reminded herself that his hair needed to be cut.

"[Yes, sweetie]?" She asked, tilting her head.

"[Who's the Dark Lady]?"

Arina's breath caught in her throat. She stared horror-struck at her son, echoes of a woman's laughter in her head.

Seeing her expression, Seij frowned. "[She's bothering you and dad, mom, I know. She should be bothering me, but you won't let her]."

Arina opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't. She was reminded of something Hojo had said to himself while experimenting on her. "The Jenova cells have no effect on her." They may have no effect on her, but she could feel them. And ever since she first met Sephiroth, she had known that he had them, too. She had thought that he knew. But now she wasn't sure.

She now had a name for that woman. "[The Dark Lady... Jenova]," she said aloud. Seij cocked his head, looking at her. "_I really should say something," _she thought. But she couldn't.

Arina could feel her mind being pulled in a different direction. She could feel that Sephiroth needed help, feel his confusion, fear, and anger.

**Sephiroth,** she thought.

She could feel him reaching for her. **Arina... I'm trying. But... I don't know what is making me feel like this. I feel like... I'm losing.**

**Don't stop fighting, **she thought. Arina was really worried. She had never heard Sephiroth so uncertain. **I love you. **

For a second, it seemed like they had won. But then, Arina felt the Jenova cells in her and her husband cutting the connection.

"Sephiroth!" She screamed. In the background, she heard Jenova say, _**"He is mine,"**_as Sephiroth turned into the dark and the flames of revenge. Before she slipped into unconsciousness, Arina was aware of the fact that she had fallen off the couch, and her son was holding her hand. "[Mom, I'm here]."

Arina slipped into the fire of a real life nightmare that was taking place at that moment across the world.

~#~

_Nibelhiem_

This is Sephiroth:

He rarely knew kindness as a child, and almost never love. He grew up in a laboratory. His father, Hojo, only saw him as a specimen, a work of art, and nothing more. Sephiroth never knew his mother; he was only told that her name was Jenova. The first who showed him compassion was a scientist named Gast. He disappeared while Sephiroth was still young. If Sephiroth formed a bond with a scientist, he could be sure that he would not see them again. He was trained to become a SOLDIER, 1st Class. He was given no choice.

Sephiroth only had four people that he would ever call friend: Genesis Rhapsodos, Angeal Hewley, Zack Fair, and his wife, Arina Uematsu. Genesis deserted Shinra when he discovered he was dying from complications in the experiments done on him. He went insane, in a way, looking for a cure. Angeal followed him, but still died a hero, at least in Sephiroth's opinion. Zack was Angeal's protégé, and only lately became a friend.

None of that is on the General's mind now. The world hails him a hero, the one who defeated Wutai. If only they could see him now.

Sephiroth stands in the middle of Nibelhiem, the town burning around him, his sword, Masamune, covered in blood.

The one who was called his mother, Jenova, has taken over his mind. He tried to fight her, but he had no warning, no experience in telepathy that would do him any good. He fought Jenova for an entire week, which was longer then she expected. But in the end, it made no difference. Sephiroth is hers now, little more than a puppet. She calls him.

And he hears. Black trench coat and silver hair seeming to wave behind him, he turns around. His six foot long sword, held in his left hand, strokes the fire flickering at Sephiroth's feet as he heads for the mountain reactor.

~#~

_Kalm_

Images flashed though Arina's mind. Images so nightmarish, that they seemed surreal.

_A girl with black hair and dressed in a T-shirt and skirt walks in a town that is burning, calling for her father..._

_A SOLDIER with blue eyes and black hair (Zack Fair) talks with a man in a burning courtyard, as a young trooper looks on..._

_The same girl from before __cries__ over her dead father on top of a mountain..._

_A young man with blond hair comforts the injured girl..._

Those images were bad, but the others were so horrible, they might as well have been blasphemy.

_Sephiroth stands in the middle of the burning town, insanity in his eyes..._

_Sephiroth cuts down civilians as he heads to the mountain..._

_Sephiroth fights Fair in a building of some sort..._

_Sephiroth tells Jenova that he has a plan..._

_The boy with blond hair stabs Sephiroth in the back..._

_Then Sephiroth stabs the blond..._

_The blond knocks Sephiroth over the edge, and Sephiroth falls into a pit of __mako__..._

Arina woke up and screamed. She felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and left on the ground, shattered, to bleed on the floor.

**A/N:**

**So, yeah. Kinda depressing. But, it makes people get hooked. :D Hopefully. Anyway, please please ****review****. It makes me happy.**


	3. Chapter 3

**To Redeem a Legacy**

**Chapter 3**

_May 29, 1992, Nibelheim_

Tseng and Hojo, with a few troopers and scientists, walked away from the helicopter set on the mountain side and headed for the Nibelhiem reactor. It was in sight, only a few hundred yards away.

Half an hour ago, one of the Turks, Andrew, had called to say that Sephiroth was on the move, and that Nibelhiem was burning. It still was. Tseng could see the flames that enveloped the valley. The light reflected off the mountains and the sky, dimming the stars.

The Wutian's cell phone rang again, and he answered. "Yes?"

"Tseng."

"Andrew, we are almost to the reactor. Can it wait?" He spoke softly, so the rest of the group could not hear him, but the question still came out curtly. The past week had been stressfull, and Tseng had a feeling it would only get worse before it got better.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I should tell you now. You'll need some warning 'fore you get here." The man's voice sounded stiff, which was unusual for Andrew, who usually found no reason to hide what he was feeling from his fellow Turks.

Tseng sighed. "Go on."

"Sir, the target..." His voice faltered for a second, then he continued. "Sephiroth's dead."

Tseng's insides froze, but his face gave nothing away. "Explain."

Andrew did, his voice level now. "When I got to the reactor, SOLDIER 1st Class Zackary Fair was lyin' on the stairs, injured. The Jenova Chamber was open, an' the target was fighting the remaining trooper, Cloud Strife. Somehow... Strife knocked Sephiroth into the reactor."

Tseng was silent for a moment, letting himself comprehend what he had just heard. Sephiroth had been defeated... by a mere trooper? That surprised him, but that was not the only surprising thing. The very fact that Fair had been injured, leaving Strife to fight, meant that the General had been the aggressor. Something was very wrong, because Sephiroth would never attack a SOLDIER without reason, let alone Zack, who was almost friends with the man.

"Thank you for telling me," Tseng told Andrew. "I am going to send the Professor in while I make a call."

"Understood."

The Wutian turned the phone off and, stepping through the grass, approached Hojo. "Professor." The scientist turned, his glasses and greasy hair reflecting the light of the distant fire, making him look like a demon.

Hojo looked up with a slight sneer on his face. "Is there more news?" His voice reminded Tseng of a squeaky faucet; twisted, and annoying.

The Turk evenly met Hojo's gaze. "The coast is clear, sir, and you can go into the reactor. I am going to check on the progress of a mission that needs my attention, then I will follow you."

Hojo snorted and turned his back on the Turk. Then, his white lab coat in sharp contrast to his surroundings, he headed for the reactor. Too tired to be annoyed, Tseng gave the troopers a signal to follow the Professor, and, like sheep, the other scientists went as well. Tseng waited until they were in the reactor before he reached for his phone.

This would be step two of the plan that Sephiroth, Veld, and Tseng had put together to keep Arina and Seij safe. Step one had been to station Charles Legend, an ex-Turk, in Kalm to keep an eye on Sephiroth's family. Legend was the perfect choice, because the Shinra Company thought he was dead. The second step, which was to have Legend move in with Arina and Seij and help them prepare to move to Wutai, would be taken only in case of an emergency. Tseng had not thought that he would be starting step two because Sephiroth had died.

Tseng dialed the number for Legend's cell phone, and while he waited, the wind picked up, flicking across the ponytail that held his black hair in place. At the third ring, Charles picked up. "Yeah?"

"This is Tseng." He gazed out into the valley, and watched as the fire engulfed the small town in ashes and flames. "What is your situation?"

"My apartment's nice and comfy. The neighbors are quiet, which's an added bonus." The ex-Turk's voice was deep, and a little scratchy, a result of years of smoking. It was also cautious. "Kid, why're you calling?"

In spite of himself, Tseng felt his lips twitch in acknowledgement of the nickname. Legend had started calling Tseng "kid" when they had first met, most likely because he thought it would be amusing to annoy the young Turk. That was years ago; nothing was that simple anymore. He sighed. "The board members are always arguing like a pair of mother hens, it seems," Tseng said softly. "As a result, some mistakes have been made."

The "pair of mother hens" was the agreed code phrase that meant "move onto step two." The "mistakes" meant be careful.

"I understand. I'll call if things start heating up."

"I will keep my ears open." Tseng hung up, and spent a moment watching the fire. _A pity_, he thought. _This valley used to be beautiful._ And yet, the rain will help the plants grow again. The town will never be the same, though.

A few moments later, Tseng turned and followed the path up to the reactor.

~#~

_Kalm_

Arina sat on the couch, brown eyes staring sightlessly out the windows. Seij was curled up at her side, with tears streaming down his face. Somehow he knew that something bad had happened to his father, even though his mother had shielded him from the visions. He did not know what had happened, which was good, because Arina could barely handle her own grief. _No,_Arina thought. _Don't think about_ that.

She pulled her son a little closer, and shifted her gaze to the shadows on the rust-colored carpet. Arina and Seij had sat there ever since... _that _happened.

The doorbell rang. _No_, Arina silently begged. _Not now_. The bell rang several more times, but Arina did not get up. Seij shifted against her side, but stayed quiet.

Whoever had rung the doorbell must have given up, because it was silent now. Arina looked back at the window, and at the leafs of the trees outside that were swaying in the breeze. She found that watching the leafs dance fascinated her, and watching them was better then thinking right now.

Again she shifted her gaze, this time to the phone that was sitting on a table next to her couch, only a few feet away. As if is mockery of Arina's silent wish to be left alone, the phone rang. She jumped, and stared at it as if it were a snake. It rang several more times, then the answering machine turned on.

"Hey, Arina, it's Charles. I'm callin' 'bout the chicken soup ya said you would make me. Pick up, I know you're there."

As the man's voice had first come on, Arina had sat there in shock. Now, realizing who it was, she grabbed the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello? Yeah, I'm here. The soup's ready. I tweaked it a bit, hope you don't mind," she said mechanically.

These were the words that she, Sephiroth, and the Turks had agreed on in case the Turks had to call her in an emergency. She had practiced with Sephiroth, and she had it memorized. She still did not know why the Turks had suggested the chicken soup, though.

"That's great," the man on the line answered. "I'm right outside your door. Can ya let me in?"

"S-sure," Arina stammered, staring at the door in apprehension. Seij, who had been listening to the conversation, dried his tears with the sleave of his shirt, and cast the illusion spell, replacing Sephiroth's son with a half-Wutian boy. Arina looked at him, amazed that even in his grief, Seij remembered that no one can see what he really looks like. She then put the phone back on the hook, and took a deep breath as she headed for the door, preparing herself to meet another Turk.

She opened the door, and even in her grief, she found herself surprised. The Turk appeared to be in his mid-thirties, had orangeish brown hair, and sunglasses. He was also in civilian clothes. He gave her a small smile as he put his cell phone away.

Arina blinked, then politeness took over, and she gave him a small bow. "If you would come in, sir, I can give you your soup. And please, leave your shoes right there." Arina said, pointing to the side of the entryway.

"Sure." The Turk walked in and, closing the door behind him, took his shoes off. As he passed Arina, she caught a faint whiff of cigar smoke.

"An' my name is Charles," he continued, giving her an amused smirk. "Not 'sir.'"

"Umm... Okay. Charles."

"That's the idea."

A movement caught her eye, and Arina watched Seij approach the Turk, who was also looking at the boy. For a while, they stared at each other. Arina would have said that they were sizing each other up if her son was older. Then Charles broke the silence.

"I don't know who your husband is," he said to Arina, "but looking at the boy, I would say his father's a SOLDIER."

Arina nodded. "He was," she said softly, almost choking on the words.

A small gasp left Seij's lips, and he turned to his mother, his eyes begging for answers. He did not really understand what her words meant, and Arina could not bring herself to tell him.

"Arina, ya know what happened, don't you?" Charles' voice was almost soft, as if he was trying to sympathize with her.

Arina nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

"Well, that's why I'm here. You understand that it's not safe here anymore, and there's no reason to stay. I'm taking you to Wutai."

For the first time that day, Arinafelt a faint stirring of an emotion that was not overshadowed by grief. Wutai. She was going home.

**A/N:**

**I'm really sorry that this chapter took so long. I'm taking creative writing right now, so I don't have as much free writing time as I would like. **

**Writing the short stories for class, I think I found my problem. I love creating stories, but so far I have not seen one through. I don't have the patience or dedication yet to finish writing a story. So I'm going to take a break writing my own stories with my own characters and write a novelization of one of the Year One comic books I have. Batman, Robin, Batgirl, Nightwing. I will definitely do the Nightwing one one day, but I need some practice before I write about my favorite Bat-boy. Maybe I'll do Batgirl first.**


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